Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The latest in the adventures of my brother, Elder Fields, in the almost Chicago mission.

Hello viewers,

This Thursday was the mission conference with Elder L. Tom Perry! It was held at the Woodridge chapel, so I spent part of the day saying hi to some old friends in that area. When we got there, since the whole North-side mission was also there, I spent some time saying hello and chatting with some new north side mission friends who will soon be a part of my mission. I also got to talk to President D., the north side mission president. President D. told me that he had heard some good things about me and was looking forward to having me in his mission. I was a bit flattered but also somewhat scared and I asked him what he had heard but he refused to tell me. That only made me wonder more and also got me thinking if I could live up to the reputation that I apparently have.

Finally the meeting started and all the missionaries were given the chance to introduce themselves to Elder Perry. I can't believe I got to shake hands with an apostle!!!! After everyone was back in their seats, we listened carefully to what he would say. Elder Perry spoke about putting ourselves out there, that we need to get out there and let people know how great we are, let them see what we have and what they are missing out on. Elder Perry said that 52% of Americans don't know who we are, and 47% don't have a good impression of us. This is something we need to get out there and fix. It was also announced what would be happening when the missions combined; that we are supposed to love the new mission members and respect them, no rivalries, no comparing mission stats or how things were done, ect... also since the missions are combining the transfer schedule will change. The Chicago North mission's transfer cycles are two weeks after we have ours, so to fix that little problem, the transfer that the missions combine will have two extra weeks added to it!
And so this will push back all the transfers after that by those two weeks. That was such great news! I get to serve for two extra weeks on my mission!!! Instead of going home on September 17th, I will go home October 1st! That's not just two years on the mission, but that's two years in the actual field as well. That's absolutely awesome! I think I'll talk to President D. and see if I can get an extension. Let's add an extra transfer onto those last two weeks. Heck, lets make it an extra year! :)
I didn't think after the mission conference that there would be any other news worth reporting for the rest of the week, but as the days passed, there was. Elder Sh. wasn't exactly happy to come into this area but after two weeks he now sees the potential within the area and even though he still wants to leave and doesn't much like the area, he would so much rather now see this area stay open. It's only a matter of time before he ends up not wanting to leave the area as well.

Unfortunately there is a downside after all this good news. Monday we had district meeting. I used to look forward to that weekly bit of spiritual enlightenment, but now I dread district meeting with a passion. Elder M. is a good district leader but for the last month of district meetings all he has done is rebuke me and tell me how I need to improve! I am flat out sick and tired of it!! It was one thing last transfer when the rebuking was split among three of us, but now that it's just Elder Sh. and me, I never hear the end of it. I honestly hate a district of four. Elder M. says things like this district needs help and that we need to improve; his area is doing fine so that just leaves us, so again it must be my fault being the senior companion! He looks directly at me most of the time and talks directly to me most of the time. I feel as if he may as well be saying "Elder Fields, you suck! Straighten up now!" I take 95% of the rebuking and Elder Sh. gets the last little bit. I honestly only deserve half of what I get. I work my butt off and he says I need to improve. I could probably stand to work a bit smarter, and maybe a bit harder. So Elder M. may be half right, but that doesn't give him the right to spend two hours shoving a rebuke down my throat. What's worse is that he does in fact rebuke me because he sees me as more of the senior than Elder Sh. is and that is a flat out lie; Elder Sh. and I are equal co-senior companions! Just because I've been here six weeks longer doesn't make me any better and I shouldn't have to suffer for the mistakes that my last comps have made, that's honestly why I hate leadership in this mission; too much burden and rebuke come from it.

After two hours of a heavy chew out Elder Sh. and I were in no mood to go back to work, but we fought down that urge and got out there and did it. The rest of the day felt like a total wash out after district meeting, we were accomplishing nothing and we both felt bad enough as it was. Finally just before we were about to go home and call it a day and sleep off our bad moods we scored an awesome new investigator from a street contact! After that, I had to wonder whether it was us or getting chewed out by Elder M. that got us that new investigator. It would be worth it to get chewed out every week if it got us new investigators afterward. Of course, if it was us alone that did the work, then Elder M. can take his rebuking and shove them where the sun wont shine because I am flat out sick of it.

To end this letter on a good note, getting that new investigator totally made our day. After a crappy day like that, that one investigator we got at the end or the day is what makes this job worth while.